Initiatives

Related Posts

No items

Chairs

Public Chair: Representative Tim Moffitt, North Carolina

Staff

Karla Jones, Director
571.482.5017 – kjones@alec.org

Task Force Documents

State legislators and their constituents are stakeholders in many of the most important national and international issues of the day. The members of the International Relations Task Force (IRTF) believe in the power of free markets and limited government to propel economic growth in the United States and around the globe and that these guiding principles are just as relevant overseas as they are in the States. The IRTF brings together state legislators, policy experts and industry representatives to develop model policy to increase exports, safeguard intellectual property rights, promote the nation’s security and restore the Constitutionally-designated balance of power between the states and the federal government.

The IRTF has model policy supporting the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), and the IRTF is the only ALEC Task Force with model policy highlighting the importance of protecting intellectual property rights. Model policy supporting final approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline, opposing Sequestration and carving out a role for the states in cybersecurity are among those in our policy portfolio.

Our models are discussed at meetings at the highest levels of the US government, and foreign governments and international bodies are familiar with ALEC model policy from past resolutions related to their regions.

In a unique partnership between those interested in international issues and those whose primary focus is federalism, the IRTF has a robust Federalism Working Group that supports policy to protect state sovereignty on a wide range of issues. The Working Group is the home of much of ALEC’s federalism model policy with initiatives including a return to the letter and spirit of the U.S. Constitution’s Tenth Amendment, giving Western states control over public lands that are held in a federal government trust and countering unfunded mandates.

In order to capitalize on the specialized knowledge of our state legislator members we have formed three subcommittees: Federalism; Intellectual Property and National Security. Subcommittee Chairs are specialists in their respective disciplines having worked on these issues within their legislatures and/or in their careers outside the legislature.

For more information, contact Karla Jones, Director of International and Federal Relations at kjones@alec.org or 571-482-5017.

Related News

Innovation has the potential to create high quality jobs and propel economic growth, but strong intellectual property protections are essential for innovation to flourish. Recently, the Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC), a division of the US Chamber of Commerce, launched its second annual International Intellectual Property (IP) Index, Charting the Course, an overview of how 25 countries have risen to the challenge of creating a climate that protects innovation.

On January 31, the State Department released its final Environmental Impact Statement on the Keystone XS pipeline, concluding once again that its construction would have a net neutral effect on carbon emissions. The study also confirms that the pipeline itself would have little to no impact on Canadian oil sands extraction rates or on global oil consumption. Canada will continue to develop the oil sands and consumers will continue to buy oil for the foreseeable future with or without the Keystone XL. The relevant questions surrounding the pipeline’s construction are who will benefit from the development and transit of this […]

At a recent meeting in Salt Lake City, trade officials from the United States and 11 other nations made important progress on one of the most sweeping free-trade pacts in recent history. Known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the agreement promises to deliver significant economic benefits to the United States by opening up new markets for American goods and services throughout the Pacific Rim. For the TPP to be effective, however, U.S. trade representatives need to insist on strong intellectual property protections that foster innovation and job creation. If negotiators give up ground on intellectual property, they could end up […]

Our nation’s founders incorporated the concept of individual property rights — including intellectual property rights — into the Constitution because they knew that these rights spur innovation and help promote economic growth. However, patent assertion entities (PAEs), otherwise known as “patent trolls,” inhibit the innovation and economic growth that patents typically foster. Even more alarming, with the creation of government-sponsored patent trolls (GSPTs) — which are financially backed by a national government — patent trolls have gone global.

I wholeheartedly agree with colleague Alex Rued’s insights in her post Innovation Economy Helps U.S. Reclaim Reputation as an Investment Hotspot. She observes that America’s “[comparative] advantage depends on technology.” An additional vital element underpinning the innovation economy is our reliable and consistent protection of intellectual property rights (IPR). Our enduring understanding of the importance of IPR protection has helped afford us unparalleled economic benefits. According to the US Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Center, over one-third of U.S. gross output originates from IP-centered companies and they account for 74% of U.S. exports – see Intellectual Property: The Innovation […]

The cyberattacks against major U.S. media outlets reportedly by Chinese hackers dramatize the need for better security. And while the Obama administration and the U.S. Congress debate new laws and executive actions to protect the integrity of computer networks and make it easier for companies to share information about attacks, state governments are forging ahead. State-level information technology systems store health records, retirement benefits and tax records for citizens that are tempting targets for hackers. Four…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kaitlyn Buss Phone: 202-742-8526 Email: kbuss@alec.org ALEC Urges President and Federal Government to Consult with States on Energy Resources and Public Lands Washington, DC—(February 1, 2012): The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is sending a strong message to the federal government in regards to management of lands and energy resources within state borders. In his State of the Union address, President Obama said, “Over the last three years we’ve opened millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration…” Unfortunately, compared to 10 years ago, oil and natural gas production on federal lands is down by more than 40 percent. […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kaitlyn Buss Phone: 202-742-8526 Email: kbuss@alec.org ALEC Disapproves of President Obama’s Decision on Keystone XL Pipeline Washington, D.C. (January 18, 2011) — The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is disappointed in President Barack Obama’s decision today to deny the application for the Keystone XL Pipeline project. This decision is in direct opposition to ALEC’s Resolution in Support of the Keystone XL Pipeline, which was approved earlier this month by the ALEC Legislative Board of Directors. “ALEC members understand that the Keystone XL project is vital to this nation’s energy security and is a much needed project that will bring […]

ALEC Opposes Australian Implementation of “Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill” Washington, D.C. (June 14, 2011) – The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) opposes Australia’s passage of the “Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill 2011” and urges Australia to reconsider this ill-advised policy. “If passed, this law threatens free market principles and amounts to a government seizure of what is often a company’s most valuable asset – its trademark,” said ALEC’s International Relations Task Force Director Karla Jones. “The law is alarming because it is inconsistent with Australia’s obligations in several international agreements to which Australia is a signatory. ALEC fervently hopes that Australia […]

Enhanced Online News - January 18, 2011 WASHINGTON, DC – American Task Force Argentina (ATFA), a broad coalition of 39 taxpayer, investor, educator, Latino and agriculture organizations, announced today that the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has joined its ranks as a new member…